[House Report 107-707] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] 107th Congress Report HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 107-707 ====================================================================== ADJUSTING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE SALT RIVER BAY NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK AND ECOLOGICAL PRESERVE LOCATED IN ST. CROIX, VIRGIN ISLANDS _______ October 1, 2002.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed _______ Mr. Hansen, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the following R E P O R T [To accompany H.R. 5097] [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill (H.R. 5097) to adjust the boundaries of the Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve located in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that the bill as amended do pass. The amendment is as follows: Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: SECTION 1. BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT. The first sentence of section 103(b) of the Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve at St. Croix, Virgin Islands, Act of 1992 (16 U.S.C. 410tt-1(b)) is amended to read as follows: ``The park shall consist of approximately 1015 acres of lands, waters, and interests in lands as generally depicted on the map entitled `Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve, St. Croix, U.S.V.I.', numbered 141/80002, and dated May 2, 2002.''. Purpose of the Bill The purpose of H.R. 5097 is to adjust the boundaries of the Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve located in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. Background and Need for Legislation The Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve was established by Congress in 1992 (16 U.S.C. 410tt). Located on the north coast of the island of St. Croix, about six miles from Christiansted, it includes the only known place in present-day U.S. territory where members of Christopher Columbus' expedition landed. Among its pre-Columbian archaeological finds have been the only ceremonial ball court ever discovered in the Lesser Antilles. Some of its many natural and environmental treasures include one of the few carbonate submarine canyons in the world and the largest and last remaining mangrove estuarine system in the U.S. Virgin Islands, if not the entire Caribbean. To provide better service and a more rewarding experience for Park visitors, it is important for the National Park Service (NPS) to have a place where visitors can come to learn about the Park and receive assistance from NPS personnel. There is currently no such NPS facility at the Park. The NPS recently identified a two-story, 4800 square foot house at the site that can easily be converted to a visitor station, museum, and operation center that will house enforcement and maintenance personnel and all Park functions. Because this facility is presently outside the current Park boundary, H.R. 5097 was introduced to expand the boundary of the Park to include the site of this new facility as well as to include 15.4 acres of land that has been offered as a donation to the park. Committee Action H.R. 5097 was introduced on July 11, 2002, by Delegate Donna Christensen (D-VI). The bill was referred to the Committee on Resources and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands. On September 12, 2002, the Full Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands was discharged from further consideration of H.R. 5097 by unanimous consent. Delegate Christensen offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute to correct the map title and number cited in the bill as well as the acreage associated with the boundary expansion. It was agreed to by unanimous consent. The bill as amended was then ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous consent. Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Resources' oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in the body of this report. Constitutional Authority Statement Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United States grants Congress the authority to enact this bill. Compliance With House Rule XIII 1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(3)(B) of that rule provides that this requirement does not apply when the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. 2. Congressional Budget Act. As required by clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this bill does not contain any new budget authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. 3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. This bill does not authorize funding and therefore, clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives does not apply. 4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate. Under clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate for this bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office: U.S. Congress, Congressional Budget Office, Washington, DC, September 25, 2002. Hon. James V. Hansen, Chairman, Committee on Resources, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 5097, a bill to adjust the boundaries of the Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve located in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis. Sincerely, Barry B. Anderson (For Dan L. Crippen, Director). Enclosure. H.R. 5097--A bill to adjust the boundaries of the Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve located in St. Croix, Virgin Islands H.R. 5097 would expand the boundary of the Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve by roughly 30 acres. Assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would cost the federal government between $6 million and $8 million over the next three or four years and about $0.3 million annually thereafter. H.R. 5097 would not affect receipts or direct spending; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply. The bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would have no significant impact on the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. CBO estimates that the National Park Service (NPS) would spend between $2 million and $3 million in 2003 to purchase an existing house on about nine acres of land adjacent to the part. We expect that the remaining acreage would be donated to the NPS, also in that year. We estimate it would cost between $4 million and $5 million to develop the house into a multipurpose visitor and administrative center and to improve road access. Finally, CBO estimates that it would cost $0.3 million a year to operate the new center starting in 2005 or 2006. These estimates are based on information provided by the NPS and assume appropriation of the necessary amounts. The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. The estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. Compliance With Public Law 104-4 This bill contains no unfunded mandates. Preemption of State, Local or Tribal Law This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or tribal law. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman): SECTION 103 OF THE SALT RIVER BAY NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK AND ECOLOGICAL PRESERVE AT ST. CROIX, VIRGIN ISLANDS, ACT OF 1992 SEC. 103. SALT RIVER BAY NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK AND ECOLOGICAL PRESERVE AT ST. CROIX, VIRGIN ISLANDS. (a) * * * (b) Area Included.--[The park shall consist of approximately 912 acres of land, waters, submerged lands, and interests therein within the area generally depicted on the map entitled ``Salt River Study Area--Alternative `C' '' in the ``Alternatives Study and Environmental Assessment for the Columbus Landing Site, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands'', prepared by the National Park Service and dated June 1990.] The park shall consist of approximately 1015 acres of lands, waters, and interests in lands as generally depicted on the map entitled ``Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve, St. Croix, U.S.V.I.'', numbered 141/80002, and dated May 2, 2002. The map shall be on file and available for public inspection in the offices of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, and the Offices of the Lieutenant Governor of St. Thomas and St. Croix, Virgin Islands.